Georgia schools will soon have access to a statewide framework designed to help identify concerning behavior and intervene before situations potentially escalate into violence.
The Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency is rolling out its Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management model for public and private K-12 schools across the state, according to a community announcement. The model provides schools with a structured process for identifying, assessing and managing concerning behaviors while emphasizing early intervention and the use of existing community resources.
The framework is intended to help school systems develop and implement their own behavioral threat assessment and management programs.
“This model is about giving
schools a process they can actually take back to their communities, develop and implement,” said Dave Shanks, GEMA/HS targeted violence prevention homeland security coordinator, who leads the agency’s BTAM courses. “The goal is to identify concerning behaviors as early as possible, assess what is happening and connect individuals with the appropriate resources before those concerns escalate.”
GEMA/HS said work on the model began about six years ago after the agency identified a need for a more systematic approach to help schools recognize and manage individuals displaying concerning behaviors or progressing toward violence.
Agency officials researched federal guidance and programs used in other states and collaborated with subject matter experts to create a model tailored to Georgia's K-12 school environment. Personnel also completed specialized training and attended conferences, seminars and other educational opportunities focused on behavioral threat assessment and management.
In 2022, GEMA/HS established a trainer program aimed at expanding BTAM instruction throughout Georgia.
Training has already led to interventions
Several Georgia school systems have completed GEMA/HS BTAM training and reported successful interventions involving individuals who displayed concerning behaviors associated with a potential pathway toward violence, according to the announcement.
The agency said schools were able to identify concerns, assess situations and connect individuals with appropriate resources before problems escalated.
The formal rollout is intended to build on those earlier training efforts by providing a structured process schools can use to establish and maintain their own programs.
Focus on prevention and existing resources
The model encourages schools to incorporate existing student and employee welfare programs along with resources already available in their communities.
According to the announcement, the broader goal is to help schools move beyond reacting to threats after they occur by creating systems that recognize concerning behaviors earlier, assess situations consistently and identify opportunities for intervention.
More information about the Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management program is available at gema.georgia.gov. Schools can also request training by contacting gema-schoolsafety@gema.ga.gov.
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This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Georgia schools get new framework to address threats early
